I agree, assist-feed is a much better term for “force-feeding”, because one should never force a cat because it only adds to their stress; it’s also important to remain calm because they can sense your stress! I don’t feed as much at one time as is always suggested because I choose to feed small amounts every ½ hour, otherwise they would have been spitting it out. Every cat is different, and there isn’t one technique that fits all – you just have to find what’s right for your cat. I’ve watched many feeding instruction videos, but none of them would have been right for this particular cat, which makes me believe that I should probably post another instructional video for those cats who don’t fall in any of the categories. Actually, I use my technique for all cats, the only difference being how each cat is held, wrapped in a towel, or zipped up in a cat bag.
My guess would be that “something” caused your cat not to eat, and the jaundice was caused by it. Good luck and keep us posted! Natalie From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Sharyl Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 10:55 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Kitty with jaundice To build on what Natalie has written. Jaundice is a sign of liver issues. Hepatic Lipidosis is cured by food. Please tell your friend to get the kitty to a vet ASAP. Time is of the essence. She can either assist feed with a syringe or get an e-tube to get the calories into the kitty. It takes a real effort to get enought food into the kitty. Many find it easier when using an e-tube. It is not painful for the kitty. Just makes it easier for the caretaker. We say assist feed not force feed. It is a state of mind. You are assisting your cat to eat. Please tell her to join the Feline Assisted Feeding group. http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline-Assisted-Feeding/ They have great files and will offer lots of help. It would be better if you friend joined so she could benefit directly. Sharyl From: Natalie <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 9:50 PM Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Kitty with jaundice It may not be just jaundice, it could be hepatic lipidosis, which is very serious! Blood test is a must, and force feeding, fluids (sub-q), and antibiotics are required! I had a cat last summer that went down to 4.5 lbs, to the point where they wanted to insert a feeding tube through nose or surgically into stomach to which I said no, because I knew that I could force fed her small amounts all day long, and she would have been absolutely miserable with any of the two. I mixed A-D with some hot water and meds, and used a syringe. Within 2 weeks, her values were tremendously improved and she made a complete recovery. Hepatic lipidosis happens mostly to female cats. She was only about 1 ½ - 2 yrs old. She is a very fussy eater, and I have finally found the one and only food that she will eat. BTW, her prognosis was grim, and the vets were really surprised how I got her well in such a short time! The poor girl was through a lot, had a litter in the streets (only 2 survived), and we got her when she was already pregnant with second litter – too late to abort. From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Maureen Olvey Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 9:23 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Felvtalk] Kitty with jaundice A friend of mine has two FeLV + cats, littermates about 8 months old, and one has developed jaundice. He has lost a ton of weight also. The last couple of days he doesn't want to eat although he's not laying around or lethargic. Anyone had experience with this? Anything that can be done or is this the end for him? Maureen “I am not interested to know whether vivisection produces results that are profitable to the human race or doesn’t….the pain which it inflicts upon unconsenting animals is the basis of my enmity toward it, and it is to me sufficient justification of the enmity without looking further.” – Mark Twain _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list [email protected] http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
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